Why the North Sea battleship disguise on a car that's been on sale for a couple of years? That's the conundrum when you spot a three-year-old prototype driving on the public road.

For that 12-registration number plate means this is a 2012 test car. The mystery deepens...

So what's new about this Range Sport?

We're not quite sure what it's testing and the jungle drums are remarkably quiet in terms of forthcoming range updates for the sportier Range Rover.

But we can see why it caught Keith's eye in its fetching monochrome plumage. This specimen is registered with a 3.0-litre diesel engine, presumably the stock 3.0-litre V6 TD.

'The front was more heavily camouflaged with padding, but it looked like it was disguising the original design rather than a facelift,' Keith tells us.

New engines, perchance?

On this evidence, we'd say such an old prototype is likely to be testing powertrain changes, rather than styling.

Who'd bet against an updated 3.0 V6 diesel engine being announced in the next 12 months? Or maybe Solihull is planning a new bi-tone paint option for those wanting to stand out from the crowd on the school run...